Few things are more beautiful than a pregnant woman carrying her baby bump. However, most women tend to keep their growing baby bump a secret in the first trimester but upon entering the second, it no longer becomes a secret that they can hide. Clothes that you use to wear daily don’t fit anymore as waistbands becomes tighter and zippers wouldn’t budge.

“There is nothing to wear!” a sentence that echoes through your thoughts as dressing every day suddenly becomes an obstacle with unwanted stress.  Don’t fall victim to the unflattering, boring maternity dress and don’t give up your personal style just to adapt to your growing baby bump.

So many of you enjoyed our first Baby Bump Lookbook, and we had so much fun putting it together, that we decided we needed to do a second one! We picked a few pieces from our current collections to inspire all you expectant mothers out there. Modelled by the lovely Huey Ling who is 33 weeks pregnant, here are our maternity style suggestions - with the added advantage of wearing each piece post pregnancy!

1) The classic fit-and-flare silhouette of the Diaronne Dress has an empire waistline that sits on the top of the baby bump, leaving space for your baby bump to grow comfortably.

Huey Ling wears the Diaronne Dress (size L) and the Obuwie Flats.

2) For mothers who embrace colour, the Laszlo Dress with pastel graphics is a more colourful option to decorate your baby bump.

Huey Ling wearing the Laszlo Dress (size L) and the Hamster Teeth sandals.

3) Drawstrings are a lifesaver when it comes to creating shape for those who are weary of shift silhouettes. Emphasize your beautiful baby bump with the Leda Dress. Made from a comfortable, stretch material allowing your baby bump to grow with ease from the first trimester into the third trimester.

Huey Ling wears the Leda Dress from Sher by Twenty3 (size M).

4) Have a dinner party or a wedding reception to wear but nothing that fits the smart-casual or formal theme? This romper is the go-to for such events as it portrays elegance and class. A drawstring and metal belt is provided to emphasize the waistline post-pregnancy.

Huey Ling wears the Chelsea Romper (size L) that is launching soon, and the Hakken Heels.

5) Exude a sport-luxe vibe with the Xonique Dress, whilst keeping warm in cool air-conditioned places with the reversible Kiefer Jacket.

Huey Ling wears the Xonique Dress from Sher by Twenty3 (size L) and the reversible Kiefer Jacket from Sher by Twenty3 (size L).

6) Graphic prints and the shift silhouette adds a splash of cheer to your baby bump.

Huey Ling wearing the Andie Dress (Size L).

Go on, then, rock that bump in style!

We won the Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin Entrepreneurship Award at the Alliance Bank BizSmart SME Innovation Challenge 2015! It is the most prestigious entrepreneurship award for SMEs in Malaysia, and we are absolutely honored to have won it from an exceptional field of SMEs this year. And with 30% of the final score based on public voting, we could not have done it without YOUR support and YOUR votes!

After months of training on leadership and all aspects of running an SME, and after three pitches to a panel of judges of senior business leaders including Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin of EcoWorld and Malek Ali of BFM, we were humbled when Tan Sri Liew announced our name on stage, and said, “This year’s winner showed the most passion and took the biggest risks, without fear – that’s what defines an entrepreneur.”

To be honest, we were wary of joining the competition. Just a week before we were invited to participate, another organization had approached us to take part in their own SME awards – only we were required to fork out over RM15,000! So I think we can be pardoned for feeling sceptical when we received the call.

In the end, I’m glad that we took part. Though the cash prize would go a long way to raising Twenty3 to the next level, it’s the training and the people we’ve met that have made this experience absolutely invaluable. Entrepreneurship is a long, lonely journey – having worked almost solo for 2 years and singlehandedly elevating Twenty3 to the size it is today, it’s been hard to keep friends. I never had the time for anything other than my business, and my friends could never understand the struggles I went through.

That’s why it’s so great to meet other likeminded peers in the Bizsmart Academy! For the first time, I finally had a group who were going through the same challenges, and who could speak the same language as me. Meeting Tan Sri Liew was an eye-opener, as well: I recognized the same fiery drive and determination in him that I possessed, and to hear his story of success and rebuilding, and to still see that passion after so many years, continues to push me to realize my own dreams.

A year ago, I was interviewed on BFM about my then-budding business, where I expressed my desire to grow Twenty3 from an online store to a proper brand, to debut at KL Fashion Week, and to be the next Jimmy Choo. I was mocked online for my pipe dreams, but this year, we have already achieved two of those goals!

This train doesn’t stop at winning this award; we’re going to grow Twenty3 further, to continue to break our limits, and to share our vision with the world: The Beauty in Perseverance.

Love,

Sherlyn

Congratulations if you’ve just got engaged! Planning your perfect wedding day can be both fun and exciting, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the different options available. “Where do we start?” is a common question for every newly engaged couple that doesn’t have a clue besides wanting to tie the knot.

The one thing that is always present at weddings are flowers. Let Mother Nature inspire your wedding theme and hold a ‘Spring Garden’ themed wedding infused with the essence of spring and the Easter holidays. The symbolic nature of springtime and Easter is of rebirth and new beginnings – which echoes the idea of a couple starting their married lives together.

Below is our guide to planning a wedding filled with colors and florals:

1) Many brides want to create some form of consistency throughout the bridal party, but how do you pick dresses for your team of bridesmaids when they all have their own individual styles? Not to mention the added dread of choosing the right colors!

Convertible dresses like our Marilyn Dress and the Monroe Dress are perfect for occasions like this as they give your girls the freedom to showcase their own individual style while keeping uniformity through your entire bridal party. They are also available in many different colors to suit your themed wedding.

Bridesmaids wearing the Marilyn Dress, the Monroe Dress, and the Hakken Heels. Sherlyn wearing wedding dress from Annie Loiseau Bridal.

Roses are the most romantic of flowers and are always associated with love and passion. How about dressing your bridesmaids in rose-print graphics?

Bridesmaids wearing the Fronna Dress, the Fronna Skirt, the Fronna Sherlyn Dress, the Venetia Dress, the Venetia Top and the Hakken Heels.

Bridesmaids wearing the Signature Rose Dress and the Hakken Heels. Sherlyn wearing wedding dress from Annie Loiseau Bridal.

2) Infuse some whimsical elements and be cheeky with the invites. Quote one of the most famous quotes from Alice in Wonderland, “Please don’t be late for this very important date,” with your wedding details to notify guests of YOUR very important date!

Photo taken from www.bridesmagazine.co.uk

3) When snow melts and spring slowly creeps in, Mother Nature clearly knows what she's doing. She always assembles her best blooms during that time of the year. A dramatic bouquet of eclectic blooms consisting of larkspur, delphiniums and sweet peas are the perfect accessories to complement your special dress.

Photo taken from bridesmagazine.co.uk

4) For table centerpieces, fill pastel jugs with fresh blooms and foliage for an effective springtime feel. Tulips and daffodils are the most iconic blooms of spring. Freesias, irises, peonies, roses, and snapdragons are a few other options. 

 Photo taken from happydayout.tumblr.com

5) If you prefer a rustic look, display those flowers in vintage milk jugs and jam jars.

Photo taken from flickr.com

6) What about your cake? Keep it simple with a white color base and add decorative florals such as peonies for a dramatic flair.

 Photo taken from bridalguide.com

7) Spring is also the time when animals awaken from hibernation. The sound of birds chirping fills the air. Nestle an origami bird amongst scrumptious chocolate eggs representing a place name and favor in one cute nest!

Photo taken from www.bridesmagazine.co.uk

8) Let Easter inspire some of your wedding details. Expose the competitive nature of your guests both young and old by asking them to partake in an Easter egg hunt challenge and egg painting challenge. 

www.wedding-venues.co.uk 

9) A simple game of ring toss with bottles painted to your wedding colors would also fit in your ‘Spring Garden’ theme. Keeping the kids occupied whilst the grown-ups have conversations over sangrias will keep all of your guests happy, young and old! 

Photo taken from purelyher.com

10) Spring is a plethora of colors. Keep your aisle fun and exciting with rainbow stripes!

 Photo taken from bridesmagazine.co.uk

11) Gift your guests with the token of life in the form of seeds, the perfect representation of springtime. The plant could be a living memorabilia of your wedding day! 

 Photo taken from weddingphotography.com.ph 

12) Last but not least, rose petals confetti to shower the newlywed couple!

 Photo taken from etsy.com

Annie Loiseau Bridal:

95, Jalan SS 2/75, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

+603-7865 1942

Check out our other wedding ideas:

• Valentines Themed Wedding
• Frozen Themed Wedding
• Fitness Themed Wedding
• Bridesmaids Dresses Inspiration

Three years ago, I started Twenty3 as an avenue to pursue my dreams of being a singer and a dancer. With only RM5000, I bootstrapped all the way to turn Twenty3 into the largest single-brand, non-Muslimah online fashion store in Malaysia. And it’s all been made possible by the support of every single one of you beautiful ladies who believe in the brand!

 

I’m proud of the relationship we have with all of you. We try to keep open all lines of communication with you, in order to better understand you, and to deliver exactly what you expect and deserve. In fact, every single step of the journey to where we are today came from conversations with YOU.

Without you, we would not be where we are today.

 In return for your support, we’ve tried to give back to you in our own little ways.

 We cast you in our first fashion show at Publika two years ago instead of runway models, to help you achieve your modelling dreams. Some of you still continue to model for our bridesmaids shoots – you would have grown up with us!

 We invited you to attend our show at KL Fashion Week instead of the usual celebrities, and pushed you to break out of your comfort zone to turn up in a strong look that most of you were uncomfortable with – in the end, we all had a blast together.

We continue to write your stories in The Sparrow, stories of hope, strength, and perseverance that most would never get to hear.

We send you surprise gifts, sometimes for your birthday, sometimes to cheer you up, sometimes for fun, but always to thank you for being awesome.

My old dreams of being a singer and dancer continue to be just dreams, but I want Twenty3 to be a platform to push people to chase their own dreams. From raising young, talented designers who would normally never be given a chance, to pushing our talented Art Director to pursue her singing ambition, to empowering our wonderful customers with the strength and ambition to break their own limits – that’s what “Beauty In Perseverance” means to us.

 So thank you for being part of this wonderful journey. If you’ve had a great experience with us and would like to help us grow even further, please vote for us in the Alliance Bank SME Innovation Challenge. With your help, we’ll continue to break limits and make you proud.

 Love,

Sherlyn.

In conjunction with November being ‘Depression Awareness Month’ here at Twenty3, we had the opportunity to sit down and chat with the lovely Terrena. Here she shares her moving story about gender identity, struggling with depression, and learning to love herself.

“The name my parents gave me was Terrence. For as long as I could remember, I always felt like I was a little girl trapped inside a boy’s body. I loved playing with dolls and always wanted to dress myself up in beautiful dresses instead of wearing t-shirts and pants like boys do. When I turned 5 years old, my family began thinking that it was strange I was still playing with dolls instead of toy cars. This led to some of my relatives accusing my sisters of influencing me to be a girl, instead of a normal boy.

Terrena wearing the Nikova Romper from Sher by Twenty3. 

Gender identity is a funny thing; you think you know who you are, but everyone else tells you you’re supposed to be someone else. Primary school was a very difficult time for me, because kids can be so cruel to anyone they see as “different”. I was the subject of constant verbal and physical bullying. Not only was I certainly attracted to boys, but my body language and the way I spoke had femininity written all over it. Boys would purposely walk past me and hit me in the chest. Even at that age, I felt sexually harassed, but because I was a “boy”, no one cared. Once, a girl told me that she wished I would stop behaving like a girl and act more like a boy. It hurt me, and confused me even further.

Home wasn’t a place where I could seek refuge. My mother’s friends would comment openly with disdain that I was turning into a girl. I knew that this bothered my mother, but she would just laugh with them and shrug it off. But I knew it was eating her up inside.

I vividly remember the first time my family turned their backs on me. When I was 8 or 9 years old, I innocently asked to play with Barbie Dolls and discovered the dolls went missing the next day. They threw them all away and refused to speak a word to me. It scared me – I loved my family, and I was terrified of being alone. Everyone hated me in school, I couldn’t bear to lose my family too. From then on, I tried my best to be a normal male, even though it was far from who I was.

Terrena wearing the Cezlio Romper from Sher by Twenty3. 

I’d told lies before, but to actually live a lie made me question my own identity. Who am I? What defines me? Do I exist if nobody will recognize the real me? Do I exist if I don’t even have any sense of my self? It’s a heavy burden for anyone to bear; for a child, it was crushing.

Growing up, my mind was constantly filled with suicidal thoughts. It started when I was in Primary 6. I would constantly ponder on the quickest, most painless way to die. I began harming myself by hitting my head against the wall, but never cut myself because I was afraid of blood. Several times I tied a rope to the windowpane, but never mustered enough courage to put it around my neck.

College came and went and yet, I did not find the courage to embrace my feminine side. I wasn’t ready both financially and emotionally to face the consequences of coming out to my family. You only have one family.

After graduating, I found a job and moved to the city. Away from the environment in which I grew up, I finally began to open up – KL is a much freer and much bigger place where I could grow and learn to rediscover my own self and self-worth. Back in my hometown, I was the weird child under scrutiny from friends and neighbours, but here, I was free to start over. Most importantly, I found a group of friends who have never judged me, and who have been incredibly supportive of my rediscovered gender identity.

Fion wearing the Fronna Culottes, Terrena wearing the Fronna Dress. 

Two weeks ago, with their constant encouragement, I stepped out in public in a dress for the first time. It was terrifying at first, but I had their unwavering support. They weren't embarrassed to be seen around me – in fact, they were thrilled for me!

As for my family, I eventually came out to my eldest sister about who I truly am. Her first reaction was shock but she quickly learned to accept it. She even offered to research for the right doctors for me to consult in order for me to receive the right treatments!

I now own several dresses of my own, but I still have a soft spot for that first dress – it was a Shanon Dress from Twenty3. They contacted me, and convinced me to share my story with the world.

For anyone reading this who’s going through the same situation as I did, please know that you are not alone. I promise it gets better.

This is me, coming out of my closet. Having lived a lie for so many years, it feels absolutely wonderful to finally accept myself for who I am.

And who am I? I am Terrena.”

Terrena wearing the Hagne Skirt and the Diarone Top.